Birth of a Light
by shiro hato chiisai
Summary: Shonen Ai- My return to ff.net! Ryou goes out with his friends for the night and leave Bakura with his father. Bakura enters Ryou's father's mind to witness the most magical thing he has ever seen; Ryou's birth.


Birth of the Light

kuro hato chiisai

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh,l no matter how much I wish I did.

This story is Shonen-ai, and is a one-shot

Bakura sighed and stared at himself in the mirror. Ryou was across the room in a towel, having just gotten out of the shower. Bakura glanced at Ryou over his shoulder.

"Do you have to go?" He asked his hikari, who turned and smiled.

"I'm only going to be gone for a few hours. And you and dad need a chance to get to know each other. He's looking forward to it!" Ryou said, as he tossed his towel onto the bed. Bakura sighed.

"I know he is... But, I like spending time with you. Especially when you're like that!" He winked at Ryou who blushed, and grabbed some boxers.

"Pervert." Ryou teased, and pulled the boxers on, then pulled on his jeans, and a mint green sweater and hiking boots. "I gotta go. I have to meet the gang in twenty minutes." He ran a brush through his hair, then went downstairs, Bakura on his heels.

"Hi, Dad!" Ryou called as he ran into the living rom, and threw his arms around his father's neck. His father laughed.

"Hey, Ryou." He said, and put down the paper, looking at Bakura, and nodding. "Bakura." Baura nodded back.

"I gotta go, Dad!" Ryou announced, as the doorbell rang. He ran to the closet and put on his coat and scarf as Bakura opened the door, nodding to Joey and Otogi. Ryou's father smiled at the pair, and opened his wallet.

"Here, Ryou." Yaten said, handing Ryou some money. "Have fun. Be home by midnight."

"Okay, Dad. Bakura, behave yourself." Bakura snorted at this, and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever...."

"Bakura..." Ryou said, glaring at his dark. Bakura snorted and scowled.

"Fine." He snapped and Ryou smiled, wrapping his arms around him and pressing his lips to his yami's in a gentle kiss.

"I love you." Ryou said, nuzzling his cheek into Bakura's chest. Bakura's face softened and he wrapped his arms around Ryou, finally cracking a smile.

"I love you too, Ryou." Bakura said, kissing the top of Ryou's head. "Now go have fun. And remember, if you need me...." Ryou smiled, and placed a hand over the Ring under his jacket, as Bakura stroked his cheek. "I'm only a thought away." Ryou laughed.

"I'm going for pizza, a movie and ice cream with my friends, Bakura! Not to Canada!" Ryou said, kissing Bakura's cheek. "Bye! Have fun!" Bakura waved.

"Bye Ryou!"

"Bye, son! Have fun!" Yaten called from over Bakura's shoulder. Bakura sighed and closed the door, smiling slightly. Then, he turned and looked at Ryou's father.

"So, uh.... What now?"

* * *

"-- And who should show up but Ryou, with a fat toad in his hands and covered in mud and a bloody nose and missing a shoe. He took one look at my boss, screamed and ran, tossing to toad into the air. It landed on my boss's wife's lap, and she screamed and fainted. Reiko found Ryou fifteen minutes later crying under the gardenia bushes out back. He was only three, and my boss scared him. After all the guests left, we found the toad under a chair and took this."

Bakura snickered and the picture of three year old Ryou, covered in mud, missing a shoe, nose bleeding and holding a fat toad in his little hands and sporting a proud smile as he stood among his muddy foot prints. Bakura and Yaten had spent the last hour looking through old photo ablums and Yaten had told Bakura all kinds of stories about Ryou when he was little, and the pair were constantly laughing. Bakura smiled and opened another album, and his smile disappeared. It was Yaten, and his wife, Reiko, who was obviously pregnant, with Ryou. Bakura began to flip through. The first picture of Ryou was in his mother's arms, as she was leaving the hospital.

"I though it was a week before Ryou left the hospital." Bakura said, and Yaten sighed.

"It was. They wouldn't let us take a picture of him when he was first born. I wish we could have, but they wouldn't let us." Bakura nodded at Yaten's words, and looked at the tiny baby. "After all, he was a month premature...." Bakura nodded again. He had been told the story.

"I wish I could see him...." He murmured. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he turned to look at Yaten. "More than anything, I wish I could see Ryou being born...." He gasped, and Yaten blinked. "Were you there? Did you see it?"

"I did....."

"Then you can help me... Would it be alright with you if I were to see Ryou's birth?" Bakura asked, and Yaten blinked.

"You can't."

"I can. I can enter your mind, and sift through your memories and enter the scene itself. I can see it. And I want to. More than anything. Please...." Bakura begged. Yaten blinked.

"Bakura?"

"Yes?"

"Do you love my son?"

"More than anything, sir." Bakura said, softly.

"Are you willing to spend his entire life by his side, and love him after he dies and joins you in the Ring."

"I have every intention of doing so."

"Will you take care of him?"

"I will. One day, I hope to marry him."

"Bakura Itemri, are you asking me for my son's hand in marriage?" Yaten teased, and Bakura smiled. (Arigato to bakurasgirl for letting me use the name 'Itemri')

"Some day. With your permission."

"You don't need my permission."

"In my time, you had to have the father's permission, and without yours, I will not marry your son."

"You have my permission, Bakura. If you are to see my son through his life, death, and afterlife, then you have every right to see his birth." Bakura looked up sharply.

"You mean, I can enter your memories?!"

"Yes."

"It's very personal. Who knows what else I may see..."

"I trust you to be discreet. What do I do?" Yaten asked. Bakura blinked, and turned to face Yaten completely, crossing his legs.

"Face me." Yaten did so, and bowed his head as Bakura rested his hands lightly on the sides of the man's head. "Relax. Concentrate on the memories of Ryou's birth. That will keep me from seeing alot of unnecesary things."

"Very well....." Yaten said, and things grew dark, as the pair fell into a trance-like state.

Bakura's POV

I opened my eyes to a scream. I looked around and blinked. Why was I in Ryou's living room? But wait... It looked different. Then, there was a pounding on the door. A man ran to answer the door and I gasped as I recognized him as Ryou's father sixteen years earlier. The door was flung open and paramedics rushed in with a stretcher. Yaten began explaining things immediately.

"My wife's in labor! She's not due for a month!!" He cried, looking very pale. The medics disappeared into the bedroom while one asked Yaten all sorts of questions. I felt my heart in my throat when the medics rushed Reiko out of the bedroom and into the waiting ambulance. Yaten followed, as did I, once I was certain I could not be seen. We all got into the ambulance, and it sped off. They did their job, tumbling around in the back of the vehicle, Yaten holding his wife's hand and stroking her forehead. One man, who was inspecting his wife down below cursed, and Yaten turned to ask fearfully what was wrong. When he did, I swallowed with a desperate need to comfort the young woman, and slowly reached for Reiko's empty hand. To my shock, she turned her head and grabbed my hand, staring at me. I gasped, and stared at her.

"Are you an angel?" She asked, and my heart pounded. How could she see me, and touch me?! She was a memory! But I smiled at her, gently. I knew she was in for a rough time, and I would bring her as much comfort as I could. An angel? Harldy. And I was shocked when I smiled at her, and nodded.

"I am..." I told her, and stroked her hand.

"Have you come for me?" She asked, and I smiled again.

"I am not the angel of death, Reiko." I asid to her. "I am a Guardian Angel." She smiled.

"Mine?" She asked, looking so happy and excited. I shook my head again, smiling at her, even though her smile faded at my shake of the head.

"No." I told her. "Your son's." Her eyes widened.

"My son?" She gasped, and I smiled and nodded. "I am here to watch over him. I will watch over him when others cannot. I will always be there for him." She looked overjoyed at this. The ambulance was pulled to a stop, and doors flung open. "Do not be afraid, Reiko!" I called, as her face grew panic stricken when she was taken from my side. "I will be near the whole time! I will not leave your son, or you!" I followed the pained woman down the hall and to the maternity ward, where she was rushed into a delivery room. I took up a space where I was not in the way, and where Reiko could see me. I felt a slight blush when she was undressed and her feet were put up into the stirrups, but then, I realized what I was about to see, and my heart fluttered. Ryou. I was about to see the birth of my lover. The soul I would spend the rest of eternity with, and all feelings of embarrassment left. Childbirth was a beautiful thing, and I had nothing to be ashamed of.

I looked up into the face of the young woman, and I felt my heart swell. What a wonderful creature she must be, to have given birth to a hikari. Even in her pain, she was beautiful, her long white hair flowing around her and her pale skin glowed, and even through the agony, her eyes sparkled in hope and anticipation of the miracle about to occur. But it did not come easily. What felt like hours dragged by and the woman cried and squirmed at the pain, though she was being doped up by every drug known to man.

They kept yelling at her to push, and to breathe, and when it all became too much for her, she would turn her gaze to me, her eyes begging. I could only nod encouragement to her, but even the simple nod seemed to restore her strength. A nurse was pushing down on her stomach, and the doctor had reached some forceps inside of her, trying to get the infant out. The baby was trapped in the birth canal; he had come too far for a ceasarian section. Even I began to sweat, and pray to Ra that the baby would survive, even though I knew he would. I was so afraid right then.

"I can see the crown!" The doctor announced. "Push, Reiko! We're almost there!" I gasped as the baby's head emerged, and the doctor threw the forceps aside and took the infant's head in his hands, pulling slightly. "Reiko, I need one last good push! Ready? One, two, PUSH!!" I was overcome by joy as the infant was born into the doctor's hands, but that quickly turned to horror. The baby was silent and limp, the umbilical cord coiled around his throat. The doctor whirled and placed the infant on a table, ripping the cord from his neck and checked him, someone near me muttering something about an APGAR test. I had no clue what that was, but watching the doctor, I guessed it to be some kind of newborn inspection. "He's not breathing!" He cried, and Reiko sobbed, looking at me desperately.

"Save him! Please!" She cried. Yaten blinked.

"Honey, who are you talking to?"

"The angel! Angel, please, save him!" Reiko cried. Yaten looked upset at this.

"Honey, there is no........." He sighed and closed his eyes, and I saw the tears fall. "Yes. Ask the angels to save our child." I flet a lump for in my throat and I moved closer to watch them try to save the tiny hikari. They stuck a small tube down his throat, sucking the fluid from his lungs, but even then, there were no signs of life. The doctor shouted for something called a Trachial Tube and stuck down the infant's throat. I stared as I saw the tiny creature's chest inflate, but the new born still did not breathe. The doctor checked for a pulse. I watched, my heart in my throat as he began CPR on the tiny baby. Then, suddenly, the baby coughed and gasped, fluids dripping from his mouth. And then, a wavery wail filled the room as Ryou uttered his first cry. I felt the tears run down my cheeks and my face split into a smile of joy as I stared down at the newborn infant, who would one day be mine. The doctor turned to Yaten and Reiko.

"It's a boy." He said, smiling. I watched, overjoyed, as Yaten tearfully cut the cord and the baby was given to his mother. I watched her beautiful face as she held the crying child, and then, I watched her cry as her son was taken from her. I followed Ryou to the nursery where he was washed and dried. So many things happened to him, it was all a blur, and I vaguely heard that he weighed 2 pounds and 4 ounces, and was 11 1/2 inches in length. Then suddenly, I felt my heart break as I gazed upon the baby in a plastic incubator with a tiny diaper on and a hospital bracelet on his wrist. And then, he was ignored. The doctor left to inform Yaten and Reiko of their son's fragile state, and the nurses ran around taking care of the other babies in the nursery. And my Ryou was left alone. I stood there, staring at him, crying his little heart out and flailing tiny fists, furious at the lack of attention, and I wondered how the doctors could pronounce him too weak to survive. He was certainly strong enough to put up a fuss. I reached to him, and my hand passed through the barrier between us. I was not surprised, however, when I felt the hour-old baby's warm flesh under my fingers. He was so tiny. He could have fit in my hands alone. He was the smallest thing I had ever seen. His little feet thrashed as he continued his crying. I smiled, and felt a tear make its way down my face. I could feel his little heart beating under my palm, and I lifted my hand to caress the red cheek and the little whisps of white hair on his head.

"Shhh..... Hush, Ryou....." I crooned. "I'm here." And I smiled as the baby calmed. We would not meet for eight years, and yet, he still found comfort in me. "I love you, hikari." I said, and he went to sleep. I stood by him, my hand over his chest for Ra knows how long before he was taken from the incubator and given to his mother for his first meal. I never felt that way, as I watched the young mother feeding her firstborn for the first time. It was truly the most magical thing I had ever seen, and when they took him from her, she wept. Only my encouraging smile kept her from leaping out of bed and chasing the nurse who had taken her son. I followed, my eyes never leaving Ryou. The nursery was dark, and one nurse was left on duty. She soon fell asleep at her desk, and didn't even wake when little Ryou began to cry.

Everything was dark in the room, and I took my chance. I reached through the plastic and curled my hands under Ryou's tiny body, lifting him up. I was happily surprised when I was able to take him through the plastic barrier in my hands, and then, Reiko feeding her son was no longer the most magical thing in the world. I stood in shock as I held Ryou to my chest, cradling him close to my heart. I couldn't take it. I had to sit down. And I did. I wrapped him in a blanket and held him to my breast, and rocked him. His crying died away as I cuddled him, and then, the tiny eyes opened and I felt my own eyes fill with tears at the large brown eyes that fixed their gaze on me. I sobbed, softly, and held him close, not only rocking him, but myself. I was trembling. This was the most incredible thing I had ever done. Ryou began to whimper, and I crooned to him, softly.

"Hush, Ryou. My little angel. Don't cry. I'm here." I whispered to him, and he drifted to sleep. The tears flooded down my cheeks as I began to sing my lullaby to Ryou, as I often did when the sixteen year old Ryou lay with me in bed.

"Angel of my heart

Your breath a song to me

Sleeping by my side

Our hearts beat in harmony"

"Peacefully you dream

You are everything to me

And I will hold you close

For all eternity"

"For you and I are one

I will never let us part

I'll hold you close forever

Little Angel of My Heart."

I sobbed after that as I held my lover, only hours old, and picturing him as he would be sixteen years later. And suddenly, I could not wait to hold that older Ryou close to my heart, as I held the newborn now. I stood, and put Ryou back into the incubator, knowing that the next day, he would be named, and in a week, he would go home. I leaned over, my face passing through the plastic, and my lips pressed against Ryou's forehead.

"I love you, Ryou." I whispered, and the baby whimpered and shifted in his sleep. I stepped back. I had one more thing to do. I went into Reiko's room, where Yaten slept in a chair by his wife's side. Both were alseep. I bent over Reiko.

"I will always stand watch over him. And one day, he will know me as more than his gaurdian. He will grow up and be as beautiful as you, and he will make you proud. You have given birth to a miracle, Reiko. He is destined to do great things, and you made it all possible. I can never thank you enough for giving him to me." And I kissed her cheek. I smiled, and faded.

Normal POV

Bakura blinked his eyes open, and stared at Yaten, who was staring at him, tears in his eyes.

"You...." the man gasped. "You were the angel she spoke of....." Bakura gulped and nodded, his own tears flowing freely.

"She was beautiful." He gasped. "I wish I could have known her."

"You kept her from giving up, Bakura." Yaten wept. "It was you." They stared at each other a moment longer, then collpased into each other's arms, crying.

"Thank you..." Bakura whimpered.

The door opened, and Ryou entered. He stared as his father and lover looked up at him, crying. He blinked, as his father stood, and embraced him.

"What happened?" The boy asked.

"Do you remember, Ryou, how your mother told you that when she was in labor, there was an angel with her? And the angel saved you both?"

"Yes..?" Ryou said. "Daddy? What is it?"

"It was Bakura...." Yaten said, and looked at the yami, who was looking at Ryou strangely.

"Ryou." Bakura said, and approached him. "It was amazing. I saw it all. I saw your mother. I saw you being born. I held you in my arms. You were so tiny. Fragile, and vulnerable. It was the most amazing thing I've ever felt. And your mother was so beautiful, when she held you, and......." Bakura could no longer continue. Yaten took Bakura's hand, and Ryou's, and placed them within each other's.

"You were destined to be together." Yaten said. "Bakura has been with you Ryou, even before I gave you the Ring. He always has been. And always will be." And the father turned, and went to his bedroom. Ryou blinked.

"What brought this about?" Ryou asked Bakura, and the yami kissed him. Ryou was shocked at the emotion he felt in the kiss, and melted in his yami's arms. Bakura released him and held him close, still crying.

"You, Ryou. You."

"Me? What did I do?"

"You lived......"

* * *

Awwww.......... that was so touching! ::Sniffles:: I hope you liked this one. Please review!


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